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For Georgian Londoners, the allure of electric animals was both intellectual and sensual.

Fire in the sky has always exerted a hold on our imagination, even as early scientists unlocked the secrets of atmospheric electricity.

With the news of a sequel in development, Russell Dornan explores parallels between ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ and Wellcome Collection.

In the 19th century, electricity held life in the balance, with the power to execute – or reanimate.

Could an animal be more evolved than a human? Victorian psychologists thought that in some cases the answer could be ‘yes’.

As the 20th century dawned, both elite and masses basked in the marvellous and unearthly glow of the new electric illumination.

Intriguing photographs from sexologists’ archives suggest they could have helped people explore their gender identity and sexuality.

Uncover the fascinating story of the doctor who popularised hypnotism as a medical technique, and could name Dickens among his famous friends.

A newly gentrified corner of Bermondsey leaves little clue to its less salubrious history. But a few intrepid writers recorded the details of existence in one of London’s most squalid slums.

How the modern world changed the life and reputation of the yogi.

How did the Church rake in revenue from 14th-century sex regulations? Kate Lister explores a bishop’s lucrative rulebook.

Prison officers tried to regulate women’s minds and bodies and maintain a new disciplinary routine in the second half of the 1800s.

An 18th-century trade card reveals far more than its owner may have intended.

This common condiment was once very valuable and, until surprisingly recently, used as a versatile medicine.

Is a high IQ really a mark of genius, or does something else explain the exceptional?

Fashionable seaside towns in England owe much of their popularity to 18th-century doctors, who advised them to take the 'sea cure'.

The 18th century saw multiple technical developments in both printing and medicine. Colourful collaborations ensued – to the benefit of growing ranks of medical students.

Blood. Phlegm. Black bile. Yellow bile. The theory of the four humours informed many of Shakespeare's best-known characters, including the phlegmatic Falstaff.

Colonial botanical texts, as astonishingly beautiful as they are, may cast very dark shadows.

Some surprising occupations pose hidden risks to dental health. Could your ivories be in particular peril?